WASHINGTON — The 20-year-old driver involved in Saturday night’s fatal crash on River Road in which three family members were killed had been convicted in the past of speeding and reckless driving.

Ogulcan Atakoglu of Potomac pleaded guilty to speeding, unsafe lane change and reckless driving on Interstate 270 in April 2013. He was cited for driving 85 miles per hour in a 55 mile per hour zone. Later that year, in October, he was cited for violating Maryland law against spinning wheels for which he paid a $70 fine.

Last September Atakoglu was charged with negligent driving, failure to drive on the right half of the roadway and failure to obey traffic controls in Rockville. That case against him was dismissed. Also dismissed was a 2014 charge of possession of marijuana.

Atakoglu’s lawyer David Felsen says his client has not been charged in Saturday night’s fatal accident, which occurred at a turn on River Road at Pyle Road, where there is no traffic light.

“We’re quite confident that Mr. Atakoglu didn’t do anything incorrect in this circumstance. It is a tragedy, but Mr. Atakoglu was travelling straight, within the speed limit and the other car made a left in front of him,” Felsen says.

Felsen says Atakoglu is cooperating with police.

But his lawyer said did nothing incorrect. Just bad luck in all those other cases.

Ogulcan Atakoglu, 20, was driving a 2016 BMW M235 when he struck a 2016 Chevy Volt with a family inside.Three of the family members died as a result of their injuries.

What is the speed limit there?

45 mph

Ogulcan Atakoglu is well known in DuPont Circle and the gay community of DC. He's a frequent guest at drug-fueled gay parties in the District, often arriving with "supplies" and/or a newly arrived runaway on his arm. Funny how that never made it into the story.

Perhaps the police should have requested a drug toxicology screen.

9tmUj

Google his name and you will see he is a Turkish citizen. He is on the radar of an Isis connection. Could be intentional head on terrorist attack on those innocent people.

Turkish Privilege

terrorist? what? his dad is a famous turkish musician you dolts

Oqulcan is pleading guilty. He admitted he was at fault which is more than most other kids would do.

His lawyer's initial comments suggested the young man claimed he was traveling at the posted speed limit prior to the collision; other reports suggested the young man said it was his fault at the scene. The event data recorder (that's the black box built into most new cars) apparently revealed he was traveling at 115 mph until a few seconds before the collision and was still moving at 70 or so mph when he struck the other vehicle. He pleaded guilty because driving more than double the speed limit on river road, at dusk, is a textbook case of grossly negligent behavior. he'll undoubtedly spend some time in prison for what he did.

Pyle Road is a residential street in a residential neighborhood. So fuck the 45 MPH speed limit. And it doesn't intersect River Road, it intersects a service road parallel to River. Fuck this guy.